Midwest Paddock Report

I had teased a few posts back about a new venture we were working on and now we're ready to unveil it.

The Midwest Paddock Report is a combined effort of my photographer better half, Heather Frisbie, and I to bring a spotlight on racing here in the Heartland.  I can't guarantee a lot of things in life, but one thing I can guarantee is that we will have growing pains.  As painstaking as it was for two non-techies to build this site, I can absolutely guarantee that once we get rolling we're going to find all kinds of things we wished we would have done differently.

Ideally we would launch with comprehensive coverage of the entire Midwest from Ohio to the Dakotas and down to Oklahoma.  Ideally.  However since we are a two-person operation working on a limited (read: "no") budget, we are starting with a still ambitious, but much more doable, agenda of covering Minnesota and Iowa. 

While our focus in owning and breeding has been in Thoroughbreds, we are going to try and include our Standardbred cousins as well.  I don't know if that's going work but we'll see.  My roots in harness racing go back to college and trips to now defunct Lewiston Raceway in Maine which was my first continuous exposure to live horse racing (after an amazing Preakness experience in 1985) with college classmate and lifelong friend Paul Mooney.  I really enjoyed harness racing, have owned small pieces of pacers in the past and have included Scarborough, Dover and Pocono Downs, the Meadowlands and Pompano Park in my travels over the decades.  Admittedly the popularity isn't the same as Thoroughbreds and if the interest isn't there we will pare back to "the Flats", but we're going to give it a go.  Where we have dual meets going we will also cover the major stories in regional Quarter Horse racing with the same caveat.

We have a section that we call "Around the Region" where we will preview and recap stakes races around the Midwest and performances that should be highlighted.  We're hoping to rely on readers to pass along story ideas and horses to watch to help us bring those stories to the people.

Speaking of people, we will be spotlighting folks in racing from time to time in our "In the Paddock" section.  We'll take movers, shakers and all around interesting people and ask them 5 questions.  A quick look at what they do and how they affect the game.

We'll also touch base on the bigger picture in our "National Scene" section.  Admittedly I'm not altogether sure how we're going to do that and it's really not going to be our focus, but it's important to give some regional perspective to the Triple Crown Trail and the Breeders' Cup.

Currently we're relatively advertising free with the exception of a couple of spots for Google AdSense, but that will change - mostly as I get adept at creating advertising and working with the widgets to be able to place the ads where I want to so they look good and deliver value without detracting from the site.  While we may be a labor of love right now, we don't intend on it being that way forever so feel free to inquire since this will get some priority in our development queue.

We're going to be looking to inject personality into our coverage.  We'd like to be a place where you come for your Midwest racing news as if you'd be sitting down with coffee with your neighbor and discussing the last night's race.  We'd like to entertain as well as inform and generate discussion.

Before I wrap, I'd like to thank family and friends that have reviewed and critiqued the birth process.  You've all be indispensable.  Truly indispensable was Frank Vespe, founder of the wonderful Mid-Atlantic on-line magazine, The Racing Biz, who provided us with advice and continues to be an inspiration.

We invite you take a look and let us know what you think.  While you're there, follow the Midwest Paddock Report on Twitter and you'll soon be able to "like" our Facebook page as well. We look forward to hearing from you!

Just "Banning" Can't Be the End of the Line for Advocates

Last week President Obama signed a bill (passed by a bipartisan coalition that passed the bill in the first place – please don’t let your own political biases let you lose sight of the fact that this had to pass both houses of Congress before it even reached the President’s desk) that authorized the hiring of slaughterhouse inspectors effectively reopening the horse processing business in the United States after years of a defacto ban on slaughter (no inspectors = no slaughterhouses).  The outcry for animal rights advocates and horse people has been deafening.  I’ve been reading on Facebook, Twitter, newspapers and magazines what a tragedy this development is.  I don’t necessarily disagree, but there is one thing that I haven’t read beyond the outrage; the solution.

This is meant to be serious.  I’m looking for real answers here, not “It’s so awful”; “They are beautiful”; “You can’t kill Black Beauty”, etc. 

My question is:

Given the thousands of unwanted horses in this country right now, if the horses cannot be sent to slaughter – for human or animal consumption overseas – what happens to them?

I’m serious.  I’ve been to the feed lots and seen these poor animals in the midst of starvation.  Contrary to popular belief, 99.5% of them were NOT registered Thoroughbreds.  Organizations that exist to help these animals are starved for cash and assistance.  These animals are expensive to care for, even under the best of conditions.  All the hollering that I have seen online and I understand it - the thought of Tabby Lane, Fizzy Pop or any other horses being sent to slaughter is almost unbearable to think about – none of it addresses the problem of what is to be done with all these horses.

If there is not enough money, not enough volunteers and a bad economy – what happens to the thousands of horses every year that are abandoned?  By some estimates over 100,000 horses are being sent to Canada and Mexico.  How do they all get saved?

Population control?  Absolutely.  Just because a horse has a uterus doesn’t mean it needs to be a mom.

More support for after racing programs?  This is ongoing and growing.  Racing is starting – starting – to do a better job taking care of its own.  Ex-racers only account for a very small part of this 100,000.  We’re just an attractive target because of the publicity and money involved, but more attention, giving and financial programs are being put into place to support and retrain ex-racers.

But what about the rest of the population?  It’s easy to cry “STOP” but much more difficult to derive a solution.

I’m not advocating slaughter, mind you, but want to hear solutions over the clamor.  All that has happened since slaughter was defacto banned in the US were more horses were exported to Canada and Mexico and left to starve to death in fields. 

I’d like to hear some solutions along with the hand-wringing.  “Winning” by re-banning slaughter isn’t enough.  Sure, “advocates” could pat themselves on the back and talk of a job well done, but the problem of over-population didn’t disappear – only the end result. Moving the problem doesn’t solve the problem.

If you actually get lawmakers to change their collective mind on this issue, what happens to all the horses that you “saved”?  They’re still going to slaughter, only somewhere else.  Your job isn’t done; it’ll only be just beginning.

You didn’t solve the problem in the last five years, so what will you do if you get a second chance?

One Guy's Proposal for Race Day Medications

Time to ban all race day medications!  At least that’s the hue and cry from some sectors of the industry and of the Federal government lately.  The recently completed “International Summit on Race Day Medication, EIPH and the Racehorse” conducted at Belmont Park drew a wide variety of comments from all over the spectrum on the blogosphere.  I would strongly recommend Teresa Genaro’s three part summary at her Brooklyn Backstretch blog for background.  Rather than rehash what she and others (Steve Zorn and John Pricci with whom my views closely align and others) have brilliantly covered, I’d like to make my own recommendation since no matter the scientific conclusions that can be drawn from the usage of Bute and Lasix on race day the outcry is going to be too strong to resist and a ban will come.

Starting with next year’s breeding season, the get from all matings from that crop will run without medication when the time comes to race in mid-2015.  All racing written for 2-year olds that season will ban medication.  As this crop gets older, the ban moves with it.  In 2016 all 3-year old racing and under will be conducted without medications.  When they hit their 4-year old racing season in 2017, there should be no races written that include race day medication.

This timed approach will help phase out the bleeding families that are known to exist among breeding stock.  If you choose to continue to breed bleeders then you won’t be in business very long.  Buyers will need to do their homework as well.  A $500,000 purchase that can’t race without Lasix is a losing proposition.  This will give owners that are currently campaigning horses based upon the current rules a chance to move them through their conditions and racing years and prepare those that do not have a future in breeding for another career.  Waking up tomorrow to a brave new world of no medications would be unfair to those in the game now and are campaigning racehorses that may have some bleeding issues that are satiated by Lasix use.  Creating a huge pool of suddenly unraceable horses will put a giant strain on an already undercapitalized and overstressed racehorse retirement “system” and send some owners right out of the game – not for cheating, mind you, but for following the rules as they currently exist.  A phased approach allows them to either adapt to the changing environment or move on with a minimal risk to capital already invested.

I can hear the screaming now, “The industry needs to do something TODAY!  Not in 2015!!”  Those cries either come from folks who have no financial interest in the fallout or with such deep pockets that it doesn’t matter.  In reality, my proposal will do something TODAY, but would affect the industry in a more systematic way that reflects the realities of the business of racing.  However, I do have an idea that may help placate those that want immediate action.

The breeding stock of tomorrow is running in the graded stakes of today.  I would propose that starting on January 1, 2012 all graded stakes races ban the use of race day medication.  I don’t think you can change the rules mid-season but the next season is pretty close to immediate.  There would still be an outlet for these horses in the hundreds of non-graded stakes around the country should they need to run on Lasix.  This way you are already clearing the way for horses closest to the breeding shed to have proven they are drug free before their progeny hits the sales ring.

“Immediate action” is a great rallying cry, but it is poor policy.  By taking into account the realities of the industry along with the urgency of action, something positive can be done but by ignoring the economics and charging ahead without consideration is one of the surest ways to further stagger an already lumbering industry.

Zenyatta - The Aftermath

I know that the last 36 hours were an emotional time for all of Zenyatta’s supports and a lot of talk comes out of your mouth in times of stress and great emotion. Here are some random thoughts on the gnashing of teeth by some of Zenyatta’s strongest supporters the last 24 hours.

“She’ll always be my champion” – Damn right she will. She spotted one the best race fields in decades about a mile and managed to only lose by a nose. It was a stellar performance by a remarkable mare. She SHOULD always be your champion – as well as one for everyone else!

“Mike Smith screwed her” – Hardly. She got pinched at the break and wasn’t thrilled about the surface early on. Even to those of us watching her on TV could tell that she just wasn’t moving the same way early in the race. Contrary to the vilification, he didn’t ‘weave her through traffic’ but he made one move up the inside and then angled out and had a straight shot to the finish. He worked hard to get her in gear and once she did she ran like she always did in the style that she always utilized. Give some credit to Blame – that’s NOT a bad horse folks.

“Secretariat lost 5 times!” – Now we’re starting to slide into sour grapes territory here. Though there was no Breeder’s Cup back in the day, there was a Triple Crown. There was a complete devastation of a field in the final leg of a Triple Crown. The final time of the mile and a quarter at Churchill Downs yesterday was 2:02.1, almost 3 seconds slower than Secretariat’s track record time in his Derby. Secretariat beat the best horses of his time all over the map. While stirring, Zenyatta’s wins were not on par with record shattering performances. Is she in the discussion as one of the best all time? Of course she is, she is absolutely amazing, but her conservative “regular season” schedule over the past two seasons will haunt her in the greatest of all time discussions.

“She lost once, by a nose, she’s still Horse of the Year” – This is a debate I’m not getting involved in yet. Zenyatta finished the season 5-1. Blame finished his season at 4-1. They raced once head to head. He won, she didn’t. If Switch or Rinterval had picked up a win on Friday, it would have flattered Zenyatta immensely. In her defense, if they ran the Classic five more times, she may win them all. Also, I don’t think another horse in training could have left that much to do and come that close to overcoming it. Does Zenyatta win horse of the decade? By a landslide. Does she beat Blame over a two year period? Absolutely. I’m not convinced yet that she doesn’t deserve it this year anyhow, but stop the talk like Blame was a huge upset winner that shouldn’t even be in the conversation.

“She just got beat. She’s still amazing.” Amen. Yes she is.

If she returned next year I think she would still be one of the best horses in training but, eventually, she will lose a step. It has to happen, it happens to all of us! I would rather she retire now, as one of the greatest ever. She was a shining star when we needed one the most. She drew attention to a noble and classic sport that was in dire need of positive attention. She stirred emotions and made people care about racing again, or at least about a racehorse, giving the sport something to try and build off of for the future. Whether the ‘powers that be’ can capitalize on that remains to be seen, but that is a long and sordid argument for another time.

Let’s just enjoy the celebration that was Thoroughbred racing this weekend and the great champions that competed before we start trashing each other again.

Don't All Us Bloggers Have This in Us?

I do quite a bit of traveling with my current job and a lot of that is windshield time throughout the upper Midwest. During those long hours I imagine what life is going to be like when we get our first great horse. That tends to extrapolate out to long involved stories about the development of the horse, big stakes races and the twists and turns of life. Naturally, as one whose racing itch is partially scratched by writing about it, I feel that there is a book in there somewhere. I have bits and pieces of it all over the place, written and in my mind, and I'm not even sure yet where it is going or what my ending will be. I don't think that this is an uncommon occurance, but then I have nothing to compare it to either. One thing that I do know is that it's easier to write about my own experiences so I will be playing off those somewhat, but I know from my own mind's meanderings that there will be more fiction than fact in the story. How much is yet to be determined.

Below is the introduction piece. I can't say how much I'll post here or how frequently, but for better or worse, below is the framework that may lead to a book someday. The book that I think most bloggers feel is inside of them somewhere. This one is inside of me.

INTRODUCTION

I have heard people say that the backside of a racetrack smells like the livestock barn at the State Fair. I say that it does not - at least on the backsides that I've been around - because the stalls are kept pristine, the common areas raked and manicured and, in summer, the smell of blossoming flowers are everywhere. Of course I could just be immune to it because on the backside in the early morning is my favorite place to be. I don’t have to have a horse working that day. The hub of activity of an active racetrack in the dawn’s first light is like magic.

If you look one way, you see horses cooling down on circular walkers after coming back from the track from a sharpening three furlong breeze or a stamina building two mile long jog. A bit further beyond is the hub of activity inside a barn where riders mount and dismount, changing their tack from horse to horse to get them exercised according to the trainer’s specifications. Grooms muck the stalls while their chargers are absent making sure that when the star's work is done that there is fresh bedding to welcome the tired horse home. As the training morning draws to a close, tack is polished and hung up, ready for the same routine tomorrow.

A short walk away is the main track and perhaps also a training track at some of the larger venues. Here is where the horses really put in the time and the work to get ready for the afternoon (or evening). On the outside, horses jog to get muscles loose in the chill of the early morning air. Toward the rail, exercise riders chirp and horses break off for their scheduled and timed morning work, showing their owners and trainers what they have in terms of speed, temperament and stability.

A lot is gleaned from these early morning works. A rough rule of thumb is that a horse in shape and within himself can work up to 5 furlongs (a furlong being 1/8 of a mile) in twelve seconds a furlong. Once you move over 5 furlongs you can add a few fifths of a second, but you get the idea. Two horses can go four furlongs in an identical :48.3 seconds. One comes back a bit winded, the other all full of himself – like he barely scratched the surface of his talent. The time says nothing. HOW the horse did it tells everything.

Master interpreters of this information are the trainers. Men and women who have dedicated their lives to the horse, racing and the very difficult lifestyle that goes with it. If you’re a southern California based trainer you can rotate from Hollywood to Santa Anita and summer at Del Mar. If you’re based in New York you can toil at Aqueduct through the winter, bracket the summer at Belmont and escape the city at Saratoga in the heat of August. Even smaller circuits like Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Chicago offer the opportunity for trainers to go home at night. But across America there are scores of other trainers who live out of RVs two thirds of the year and travel routes like Shakopee, Minnesota to Oklahoma City to Oldsmar, Florida and back again or East Boston to Philadelphia to Miami and then back up the Coast. Along the way birthdays are missed, anniversaries are celebrated on the road and there is rarely such a thing as a day off.

Sometimes it’s hard for the casual fan to remember, but the horses are alive. They’re not machines. They have good days and bad days and routine aches and pains the same way that human athletes do. However, a horse can’t talk and tell us what’s wrong. They require care and feeding every day of the year. There are meals to be had, stalls to be mucked, vet care to be given and exercise to be done whether it’s Christmas, Thanksgiving or last Thursday. The trainer and his staff of assistants and grooms are there each and every day to make it happen. You don’t do something like this for the money. You do it because it’s your calling and your passion. You don’t last otherwise.

Later in the day, these finely tuned athletes are turned over to, in my mind, the strongest, bravest and toughest professional athletes in the world: the jockey. Jocks can lead a similar nomadic existence as the trainers do. They are self employed just like the trainers and are just as dedicated to their craft. Notable exception: no one tells a trainer how much he can weigh. The average weight of a jockey is roughly 110 pounds. The amount a horse may be assigned to carry can vary up to 130 pounds for the greatest of handicap horses. The norm, though, is usually less than 120 pounds and some jocks have a hard time staying at a weight that keeps them competitive. Legendary are the stories of jockeys spending hours in steam rooms, hot boxes, manure piles and other contraptions just to sweat off enough pounds to meet their race weight. Bulimia has also been known to make the rounds at jockey colonies around the country. The hell that these men and women put their bodies through to make weight has, hopefully, been aided in recent years by better nutrition and training methods, but it is still a tough way to make a living. Piloting high strung, half ton athletes moving at 40 mph in close quarters requires instinctive reflexes and a feel for the process. There is no time for thinking, only reacting. No other professional athlete can put together all the elements necessary to be a successful jockey and they deserve all the praise and respect in the world – certainly more than these independent contractors get. In what other sport does an ambulance follow you around as you work?

Who’s left? Owners. They come in all shapes and sizes. They can be gracious and accommodating. They can be tyrannical and abusive. Some own huge stables full of horses over several tracks around the country. Some own one horse and live out their racing dreams in a bull ring somewhere. We’re a strange breed of our own, the horse owner. People have said we have more money than brains and in many cases that’s true. We love the game, the sport and the industry – yes, that is racing all rolled into one depending upon how you are looking at it – the equine and the competition. Many love the money and glory and others are content to watch their horse race a few times over the summer and then let them play on the farm until next season rolls around.

What will follow is a fictionalized autobiography. It is not how I wish my life went, because I love where I grew up, how I grew up and the family I was lucky enough to grow up around and the one that I founded myself. The events that shaped my actual life brought me to the place that I am now and I like the place that I am at now. What it could best be described as is a fictionalized account of a life in racing. A bit of what will follow is true. Most is simply made up. It comes from my imagination. In my long car trips across the Midwest I have had dreams in my head of where my horses should go, what races we would win and the speeches I would give if given half a chance. I finally decided that I can have that half a chance – I only had to make it up.

Thanks for reading.